Alcohol-Related Car Crashes More Likely on New Year’s Eve Than Christmas

By Join Together Staff | December 20, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol

Fatal car crashes are more likely to be caused by alcohol on New Year’s Eve, compared with Christmas, according to the National Safety Council.

Bloomberg reports between 2007 and 2011, over the New Year’s holiday period—6 p.m. December 31 through 11:59 p.m. January 1—there were an average of 108 traffic deaths a day, with about 42 percent linked to alcohol. In contrast, there were 93 alcohol-related deaths between 6 p.m. December 24 and 11:59 p.m. December 25, with 35 percent linked to alcohol.

This year, the group estimates that during Christmas, there will be 105 traffic deaths and 11,200 injuries requiring a medical professional, and 156 traffic deaths and 16,700 injuries during New Year’s.

“The difference between the two holidays is that everybody on New Year’s Eve is going out to parties and at their parties, they’re having the alcohol,” Capt. Nancy Rasmussen, Chief of Public Affairs for the Florida Highway Patrol, told Bloomberg. Christmas is more of a “stay-in-the-house, do-the-family thing, so there’s less drinking,” she added.

Traffic deaths are more likely during the July 4, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends than New Year’s, Thanksgiving or Christmas, the article notes. These warmer-month holiday periods average 140 traffic deaths each per day.

The National Safety Council advises drivers not to get behind the wheel even if they think they’re “just a little buzzed.” Designate a non-drinking driver, or take a cab, and refuse to ride with an impaired driver, even if it’s a friend or spouse.

Kentucky Bill Aims to Strengthen Heroin Treatment, Penalties
 
By Join Together Staff | December 20, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs, Legislation & Treatment

Kentucky lawmakers will soon consider a bill that would make the opioid overdose antidote drug naloxone more available, while stiffening penalties for high-level drug dealers. The bill also would expand anti-drug education, the Courier-Journal reports.

Kentucky Medicaid would be required to pay for a broad array of substance abuse treatment options for people seeking opioid addiction treatment. Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway said he thinks this provision will give an incentive for more organizations to provide treatment for heroin addiction.

The proposed law would increase penalties for high-volume drug traffickers, and allow them to be charged with homicide, according to a news release.

Van Ingram, Director of the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy, said heroin accounted for 36 percent of the 639 overdose deaths in the first nine months of 2013 in Kentucky, compared with 3 percent in 2011.

December 20 v 22 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.

STEP 5 :Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Recompense - to repay; remunerate; reward, as for service, aid, etc.
At the age of ten something very traumatic happened to me at the hands of a family member.Being that young  I was unable to handle or understand why or how could this happen.From that point until I reached thirty two years of age, my life was ruled by anger resentment and fear.Dealing with people was something I was unable to do until I discoverd drugs and alcohol. No body was going to hurt me again ,at least so I thought.Ninety five percent of my time was spent of thinking of ways to get even (recompense ) with every single person that harmed me. This way of living poisioned everthing I did ,bitterness and misery were the only true friends I had , and they were taking the life right out of me. Living this way was not living at all and thankfully it did not end there for some it does ,but for us lucky few I took step one and found GOD. After thirteen years of twelve stepping I can sit here and finally realize the Proverb is true and I can share my step five with you.

December 19 v 5 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape.

STEP 10 :
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Lying is one of the most destructive things we can do to ourselves and to our loved ones.Some cannot tell the truth ! My problem with this one , I like to exaggerate a story add facts and gorey details to make it more interesting. My wife calls me on it all the time . I literally have to stop myself and think before my mouth takes off and I am telling tall tales. Punishment mentioned in the Proverb is what we do to our character and our relationships. Some one told me Lying is like weaving a web and once caught in the web their is no escape.Think about it ,If you have watched an insect caught in a spider web how much it struggles too get it free but it can't. Our lies are a snare and we bound by them not just that they set the course of our lives .I want to be known for honesty and integrity ,not the lying ,thieving monster I used too be. Sincerely following step ten and applying it to everyday life will keep you out of the web.

Synthetic Marijuana Added to Defense Department Drug Testing

By Join Together Staff | December 18, 2013 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs, Military & Prevention

The U.S. Defense Department will start randomly testing service members for synthetic marijuana, the Air Force News Service reports.

“The message we’re getting out now is that when you participate in our random urinalysis program, synthetic marijuana products or synthetic marijuana will now be tested along with our other drugs,” Army Lt. Col. Tom Martin, who heads the department’s drug testing program, said in a news release. “It’s been known in the general population, both in the medical community and various media reports, that synthetic marijuana drug use is a serious health concern.”

He said that while the military generally has a much lower level of drug use than society at large, synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or Spice, “still poses a significant risk to both the safety and readiness of our force.”

The military also randomly tests service members for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and Ecstasy, as well as prescription drugs including oxycodone, hydrocodone and benzodiazepines.

“Any service member who tests positive for either an illicit drug or misuse of a prescription drug falls under any actions deemed appropriate under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, as well actions that are appropriate as deemed by their commander,” Martin said.

Efforts to educate members of the U.S. military about the dangers of synthetic drugs, coupled with improved drug testing, are starting to have an effect, the Navy Times reported in November. The Navy and Marine Corps reported a drop in members using Spice and bath salts.
The Defense Department first began responding to use of synthetic drugs in the military in 2010. The department banned the compounds, and began to develop tests for them. In 2012, the military started an awareness campaign about synthetic drugs.

A message from Jennifer Hansen, founder of Serenity House.

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Hi Joseph!  I'm Jennifer Hansen & I need your help... Serenity House alumna, Kelly M., tells her poignant story: “I chose to live a life of on-again, off-again drug abuse for over 20 yrs. That addiction cost me the loss of my home, marriage, children, and career. Not even the death of my step-sister to an overdose of prescription drugs, or having a mother whose job with the county medical examiner’s office involved investigating drug overdose deaths, was enough to make me want to stop using. There were many people who cared about me, but I never had the self esteem, knowledge, confidence, discipline, or commitment to do what was necessary to end my self-destructive behavior. After numerous inpatient and outpatient treatments in multiple recovery programs, I was able to successfully complete my second drug treatment at Hansen House and moved into the Serenity House. It was at Serenity House that I received the tools to overcome my addiction. Serenity House, with its caring structure, encourages residents to reconnect with family. Children can stay overnight with their mothers in a safe, monitored and supportive environment. It is due to the programs offered and the dedicated staff at Serenity House that I was finally able to realize I did have the ability within myself to stop using drugs and start living a clean life. Today, I am employed at Hansen House trying everyday to help people like me regain and maintain their sobriety.”  Wishing You a Happy Holiday and a Healthy & Prosperous 2014!     Please consider making a donation to the Serenity Houses for Women & The Randy Scarborough House for Men, our three sober-living homes in South Jersey. Your gift will help us to provide our residents with the tools necessary to live happy, healthy & responsible lives in recovery.   DONATE HERE! We also can use the following items in good condition: Bath Linens Kitchen Utensils Bed Linens Cleaning Supplies Volunteer opportunities available! For more information, please call Nina Soifer at 609.965.3700, ext.16. Thank You for Your Support!

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